Slax author's Blog

14

March2013

Taskbar problems in Slax

I got several notices about the taskbar in new Slax. For some users it is really broken. I can reproduce the problem only when I resize screen to a bigger resolution, but for some people it happens even on clean Slax startup.

Will have to digg into it somehow deeply, this should really never happen.

User comments

Петр Т2013-03-15 00:56

Yes i have this problem

Inconsiderate Bastard2013-03-15 11:07

This issue popped up for me. Resizing to full width fixed it and it stayed fixed, so I am happy. This new version is gorgeous (haven't used it since Slax 6).

I am getting used to the fancy task bar and accidentally removed the system tray. It's easy enough to add back, but the taskbar and desktop go black and restart when I try to add it. Think it could be related? I am going to keep investigating.

Tomas M2013-03-15 11:21

Actually the KDE plasma thingy is somehow mysterious for me even after all the warming time I had with it :) I'll release 7.0.7 with the taskbar fixed since this is really annoying bug. Half of the files are mirrored already, but I'm going to sleep, so estimate release time (update of the download page at Slax website) is scheduled when I wake up :)

Inconsiderate Bastard2013-03-15 13:27

It really is weird. I have Opera and Skype on it. If either is running, I can't add a new System Tray to the panel or the desktop.

If I close Opera and completely remove Skype, I can add a system tray to the desktop. When I add it, the device notifier messes up and shows the contents of its popup window without it being inside a window. The info (different actions you can take on the mounted device) is just hovering over the desktop.

I am disabling any automount things to see if that changes how it works.

David Forsyth2013-03-16 12:29

The taskbar always sizes itself slightly differently on each boot even though I don't use changes and don't change anything. The clock toolbar applet can get randomly scrunched for no apparrent reason.

X still cannot figure out my machine has 800x480 screen resolution at startup. It can't figure out that the lid is closed at startup. Slax 6 could be booted, the lid closed, then properly go into the specified sleep mode when the loading was complete.

Interestingly, Porteus has similar confusion with the lid, but not the display resolution...

Sponge Bob2013-03-17 00:13

How (and why:) the heck do you start your laptop with the lid closed? /confused

jcsoh2013-03-17 00:33

Read it as
Slax 6 could be booted,
the lid closed,
then properly go into the specified sleep mode when the loading was complete.

Its booted (with lid open)
While still booting the lid is close
Then when booting / loading is completed (lid already closed( it goes to sleep
( I assumed he peek to make sure it goes to sleep).

(and why:)
Well I can imagine a scenario
Before entering a conference room for some hard negotiating , he wants to make sure his laptop is turn on , prime and ready (sleeping to conserve battery).

At critical moment , he jumps up and says "a ha you are wrong". A few click to wake up the laptop , he gleefully shows some hard data to back his argument !
If he were to jump up and then turn on the laptop , the booting time takes away his advantage, as the other side will have time to gather their thoughts!

David Forsyth2013-03-17 07:00

Jcsoh's reading of the sequence of events is correct.

The eeepc's power-on light flashes when it is suspended, so I know when it is complete. This works in Slax 6. In Slax 7 I must wait for the music, open and reclose the lid.

Jcsoh's *scenario* isn't one I have encountered, though. It is just easier to boot the machine up before heading out to the internet cafe. Then open it and wake it up.

"Boot Linux in Five Seconds" is possible with extensive kernel hacking but it is not a practical reality with most distros.

jcsoh2013-03-17 08:25

" It is just easier to boot the machine up before heading out to the internet cafe. Then open it and wake it up."

But is it really safe to physically move the machine around in a sleep state.?

David Forsyth2013-03-17 11:39

jscoh writes: "But is it really safe to physically move the machine around in a sleep state.?"

Funny. I never considered it a risk. The eeepc has a solid state HDD and I have the default setting for wifi as off.

Linux is stable enough to wake up without any issues. I have done this trick for years.

jcsoh2013-03-17 15:40

" The eeepc has a solid state HDD" -Should be no issue here.
But for conventional hard disk there is a danger of the laptop accidentally becoming awake . I had also read case of overheating due to laptop becoming awake when packed in backpack. Probably something pressed against the laptop cover (possibly owner leaning on the bagpack) and the laptop overheat since it was stuff along side the other stuffs in the backpack.

Sponge Bob2013-03-18 11:09

Guess I could do a long blues about sleeping issues, a steaming backpack may well do for a refrain :)

But good to hear it works for someone as advertised.

Paul Ighofose2016-01-23 14:05

I too deleted the taskbar by mistake. But when rebooting and unticking Persistent I get the original taskbar. How can I copy that configuration to the usr configuration?